Coaxial line connector



April 20, 1965 E. c. UBERBACHER COAXIAL LINE CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 6, 1962 I NVENTOR EDWARD C. UBERBACHER ATTORNEY April 20,1965 E. c. UBERBACHER GOAXIAL LINE CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.6, 1962 United States Patent M 3,179,914 COAXIAL LINE CONNECTOR EdwardC. Uberbacher, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., assignor to International BusinessMachines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York FiledNov. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 235,695 13 Claims. (Cl. 339-49) This inventionrelates in general to electrical connectors and more specifically toforms of connectors. wherein a coaxial line or shielded Wire conductoris coupled to a similar line or other conductor by means of wipingcontacts. attached at mating ends of a separable connection.

A need is fulfilled herein by providing apparatus utilizing pulses ofelectrical and magnetic waves of high frequency with simple pluggablemeans of connection to be joined with the same facility as connectionsfor lower frequency apparatus. However, the nature of the energy used byhigh frequency apparatus requires extra quality transmission lines suchas coaxial or shielded wire conductors and pluggable connectionstherefore present special problems for maintaining electricalcharacteristics of the lines when joined.

Heretofore, such coaxial or shielded conductors were often terminated byconnections which required soldering the braid or outer conductor andthe inner conductor elements to terminal connectors such as pins ortubes. Such terminals were then mated to similarly constructed cableends, receptacles or sockets in order to establish the electricalconnection. The soldering of these small terminal parts involvedprecision handling with tedious and time consuming operations for eachcable termination. The pin and socket connections of the prior art arenot economical to manufacture, electroplate and assemble onto cable endsand receptacle receivers.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a coaxial cable orshielded wire connection that is economical to manufacture, easy toassemble, and that provides simple but effective wiping contactconnections for all cable elements in either a cable to cablerelationship or when a cable is joined to a panel socket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coaxial cable orshielded wire connection in which a number of stamped and formed sheetmetal parts are used for economical construction. Contact blades areformed to fit directly onto cable elements.

Another object of .the invention is the provision of a connector designcombining the quality features of coaxial cable and leaf type contactsto form a versatile low cost connector.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a leaf type contactfor coaxial cable connectors wherein lead wires are dispensed with andmultiple crimping operations are eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide coaxial cabletermination of reduced size and of square crosssection. The regularequal sided shape of the cable con- 3,l7fi,ld Patented Apr. 20, 1965honeycomb panel receivers are arranged to align and protect assembliesof multiple connections. Retaining key projections of simple fiatconstruction may be fitted into panel blocks of cable end housings tohold them together. Latching screw assemblies of blocks is alsoafforded.

One of the features of the invention is the provision of a universaltype of connector for joining coaxial cable or shielded wire connectionstogether or to a panel in which the inner and outer conductors arejoined to leaf spring contacts in the panel connector and which saidcontacts are receptive to wiping engagement with similar contacts in apluggable coaxial cable end.

The foregoing, and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of the preferred embodiments of the invention, asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a section elevation view of a coaxial cable end.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the cable end taken in the position of line 2 2in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a detail view of an outer shield contact.

FIG. 6 is a detail view of an inner signal conductor contact.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cable end shown in FIG. 1 after ithas been crimped.

FIG. 8 is a sectional elevation view showing the assembly of a pluralityof connected cable ends.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a plurality of cable ends keyedinto a frame or panel.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of the panel and keys shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a honeycomb assembly of a pair ofpanels held together for reception of mated pairs of cable ends.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7 of the drawing, a connector in accordance withthe principles of my invention is shown to comprise a cable 20 and acable termination 21. Cable 20, FIG. 1, is of the coaxial shielded typeincluding an inner signal conductor 22, insulation tube 23, a shieldconductor or braided metal grounding sheath 24, and an outer insulationcoating or cover 25.

At the right in FIG. 1 it is seen that the end of inner conductor 22 isexposed and on it is fitted a split sleeve portion 27 of a spring leafcontact 28 which extends beyond the end face 29 of a terminal block orholder 30. Block 30 is formed of a strong deformable insulation plastic,ceramic or other non-conductive material and while rather thick andstiff at the right end (FIG. 1) where the contacts are held, it is muchthinner and deformable at the left end 31 where the cable end is crimpedtherein as shown in FIG. 7.

The inside of block 30 is formed with a cylindrical o'pening 32 toreceive sleeve 27 and an enlarged opening 33 to receive the outer partsof the cable end. Inside opening 33 is seen to be fitted a metal tube 34over the insulation cover 23. This tube 34 when crimped on cover 23 actsto hold it in place and also form a firm backing for the metal shielding24 which is to be crimped against a contact as explained hereinafter.

The left opening in block 30, FIG. 1, is seen to be enlarged to receivethe end of the braided tube shielding 24 over the tube 34 and also anouter metal sleeve 35 which is not initially truly circular incross-section, but extended outward in one corner as shown in FIG. 4.This outward bulge or extension 36 of sleeve 35 provides space for theinsertion of an elongated flat inner end portion 37 of a leaf typecontact 38 which has an S shaped bend 39 outside face 29 of block 3% sothat it has outer conformity with the shape of contact 28. Bend 39 liesin a recess 19 (FIG. 2) formed in the face 29 of block 30 so that afulcrum is afforded for the action of blade 38. FIGS. and 6 illustrateshapes of the two contacts 28 and 38 which make them receptive to wipingconnection with similarly shaped contacts in another cable end.

Returning to consideration of contact and how it is fitted inside block30, in FIG. 1 it is seen that its left end is slipped between shield 24and sleeve 35 and its right end passes through a corner opening or hole41, FIG. 3, beyond which the S bend 39 carries the contact end alongrecess 19 and out of the block and parallel with the other contact 28. Atwist 42 of portion 37 inside the hole 41 stitfens and seats the contactagainst the hole wall in several directions. A widened shoulder area 40fits into a slot 43 and provides a firm fulcrum for the flexing andspring action of the contact 38. The recessed area 19 in the face 29 ofblock 30 provides a protective shelter area for the S bend portion 39 ofthe contact 38.

Although crimping has been mentioned with respect to several locations,it is well to note that the effecting of it on all terminal parts is aone shot proposition. In other words, after the cable and contact partshave been assembled inside block 30 as described hereinbefore, a singlestroke of pressure applied at several locations, serves to attach firmlythe inner parts of contacts 28 and 38 to the cable conductors. A pair ofblock depressions or holes 44, FIG. 3, provide access to shallowportions surrounding contact sleeve 27 so that it may be deformed orcrimped onto wire 22 at the same time that block end 31, is deformed orcrimped as shown in FIG. 7 to pinch contact end 37 between braid wireshield 24 and tube 35 to form fast mechanical and electrical connectionsbetween the cable conductors and the flexible contacts. It is thedeforming of sleeves 27, 34 and 35 which performs the fast, secureattachment of the contacts 28 and 38, while the block 30 is deformed forfurther securance of the cable end.

Block 36 is formed with a protective shelf or extension 45 whichprojects beyond the ends of the contacts 28 and 38 to not only protectthem from damage but to act also as a limiting stop for their upwardflexure and also aid in inserting the terminal as a whole in a panelopening. A central web 46 serves to keep the contact ends isolated andprevent forced touching between contact ends.

A groove 47 is formed in block 30 so that when the block is inserted inany receiver, a spring latch or dimpled formation on such receiver mayspring into groove 47 and hold the block 30 positioned in the receiverand fully inserted therein. As pointed out hereinafter, an alternativeto the groove locater 47 is provided in the form of a combined grooveand projecting key or foot which is to be formed or molded in the sameposition as groove 47 but project to be keyed into other notches inframes or on adjacent blocks such as block 30.

FIGS. 1-7 deal mainly with a single cable end or termination. The otherviews, FIGS. 8-1l show various ways in which one or more pairs of suchcable connectors may be held together as cable to cable, or machinepanel to cable combinations, or any other connector combinations.

In FIG. 8, a pair of panel frames 48 and 49 are seen to be spaced andbrought together by pairs of screw assembled blocks 50 and 51. A seriesof marginal screws 52 are threaded through frame nuts and block openingsto provide an interior opening which is proportional to be of plastic orthin metal.

7 i one or more multiples of the square spacing required by block 3%,FIG. 7. With several pairs of blocks 30 so confined and keyed withinframes 48 and 49, the contacts 38 therein are brought into wipingcontact as shown and held together.

It was noted hereinbefore with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 that theholder 30 could be formed with a peripheral notch 47 but that otherretaining or keying arrangements could be made with respect to insertedcontact assemblies. FIGS. 9 and 10 show how provision of key notches 54anr projecting key feet perform such a retaining operation with respectto a whole series of confined contact assemblies 39 exposed as a panelbeyond a frame 53 which may very well be a machine frame. Frame 53 isformed With a large opening receiving a whole series of contactassemblies and has, inside such an opening, an extending rib 57 providedon all inner edges except the bottom edge which is formed with a groove56. The rib 57 extends into grooves such as groove 54 formed in thecontact holder 30. This serves to position axially all the peripheralsets of assemblies within the frame opening. These outer contact framesin turn are keyed to other intermediate holders 30 by means of keyingprojections 55 one of which extends from each of the holders 3b. Thiskeying member or outwardly extending foot 55 extends into the grooves 54of three adjacent holders 30 so that in effect four holders are keyedtogether axially by each one of the keying members 55. Since the bottomlayer of holders 30 FIG. 9 have no corresponding grooves 54, asubstitute therefore is provided in the form of the groove 56 formed inthe frame member 53. Thus, the contact holders are not only keyed inposition by the rib 57 and the cooperation between the keying members 55with respect to adjacent block grooves, but there is also the keyinginto the notch 56 to hold all blocks near the bottom of the panelblocked therein.

As a further measure of spacing and assembly control, the corners of thearray of holders 30 in panel 53 are specially formed to be proportionedwith square blocks 59 each integral with frame 53 or each of which mayor may not contain a keying member and each of which may be providedwith a positioning rod 60 or screw hole therein ready to receive rods orscrews for coupling of another panel to panel 53 and also to providemeans for securing other confining members to the corners of the arrayof contacts. Along the bottom of panel 53 there is shown a portion 5% ofanother panel frame with its groove 66 receptive to keying feet ofmating blocks 36 on the second panel frame.

FIG. 10 is a rear View of the assembly shown in FIG. 9 and serves toillustrate how the feet or keying members 55 cooperate in an overlappingposition with respect to the three adjacent contact blocks of each blockand also how the feet of the bottom keys extend into the groove 56.

Although it is possible as shown in FIG. 9 to have an array of assemblyblocks 39 presented in an exposed position with outside supportsecondary to the support afforded by the projections 45 of blocks '30which provide intermediate shelving for an array of blocks, it is alsodesirable at times to provide individual support for each pair of matedblocks as shown in FIG. 11. There the honeycomb form of constructioncomprises a pair of panels each formed by soldering together, orattaching by adhesives or welding a whole series of parallel boxes 62which are of hollow square formation and which may Although it ispossible for one such thickness of boxes 62 to stand alone, the usualarrangement is for a pair of such receivers 62 to be joined by one ormore screw connections involving blocks 63 and fastened in one or morepositions in the respective arrays of blocks 62, said connector blocksbeing joined by a screw 64 threaded through block 65 and into block 63.When such a parallel honeycomb arrangement is joined it is receptive toa whole array of cable terminal blocks 30. As shown, the blocks 30 areinserted from opposite sides of the square openings and inside thisjoined formation the pairs of contacts 28 and 33 are brought into wipingcontact and held therein by such contact as well as by a dimpledformation 70 in each receiver 62 cooperating with a slot or notch 47shown in FIG. 7.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in formand details may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coaxial cable connector,

a cable comprising a signal conductor and a tubular shield therefor,

a wiping contact for said signal conductor comprising an extendingcontact leaf joined to a cylindrical portion which is crimped onto theend of said signal conductor,

a housing block enclosing said cable end and confining said cylindricalportion of said contact leaf,

said housing block enclosing a tubular member for the end of said cable,

said tubular member fitting within said shield, another cylindricalmember also within said block and associated with the end of said cablein position encircling the end of said shield,

a second contact comprising an elongated projection which is insertedbetween said shield and said cylindrical member,

said second contact being formed with an extending wiping leaf, and

said second leaf having an intermediate portion fitted within an openingin said block to provide a fulcrum for flexing action,

an extension on said housing block to protect said extending contactleaves and provide a stop for the flexing action thereof,

a pair of depressions in said housing block providing access forcrimping action against said tubular and cylindrical members on thefirst mentioned contact,

said housing block being formed with an end of thin cross sectioncoinciding with the positions of said tibular and cylindrical membersunder and over said s ield,

whereby crimping of said thin block end is communicated through theblock. to deform said members and confine the second contact end in thespace between the shield and the cylindrical member.

2. In a coaxial cable connector,

a cable Comprising a signal conductor and a tubular shield therefor,

a wiping contact for said signal conductor comprising an extendingcontact leaf joined to a cylindrical portion which is crimped onto theend of said signal conductor,

a housing block enclosing said cable end and confining said cylindricalportion of said contact leaf, said housing block enclosing a tubularmember for the end of said cable,

said tubular member fitting Within said shield,

another cylindrical member also within said block and associated withthe end of said cable in a position encircling the end of said shield,

a second contact comprising an elongated projection which is insertedbetween said shield and said cylindrical member,

said second contact being formed with an extending wiping leaf, and

said second leaf having an intermediate portion fitted within aconfining opening in said block to provide a fulcrum for flexing action,

said block being formed with an intermediate area of reduced crosssection and an end of thin cross section coinciding with the positionstherein of said cylindrical contact portion and said cylindrical memberover said shield,

whereby crimping of said reduced and thin sections is communicatedthrough the block to deform said portion and members and confine thecontacts simultaneously.

.3. In a coaxial cable connector,

a cable comprising a signal conductor and a tubular shield therefor,

a Wiping contact for said signal conductor comprising an extendingcontact leaf joined to a cylindrical portion which is to be crimped ontothe end of said signal conductor,

a housing block enclosing said cable end and confining said cylindricalportion of said contact leaf,

a second contact comprising an elongated projection which is attached tosaid shield and formed with an extending wiping leaf,

said second leaf having an intermediate portion confined in said blockto provide a fulcrum for flexing action,

a series of depressions formed in said block over said contactcylindrical portion to give access for crimping action against saidcylindrical portion of the first mentioned contact to hold it firmly onsaid signal conductor.

4. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 3 wherein said extendingcontact leaves extend similarly and with spacing compatible with matingof a similar contact pair in a similar connector.

5. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 4 wherein the block endfrom which said leaves extend is shaped square with the leaves extendingcentrally therefrom to mate in any position with a similar connector.

6. A coaxial cable connector comprising:

a cable end having an inner conductor, an inner layer of insulationthereon, a coaxial shield and an outer layer of insulation,

a block housing enclosing said cable end in a thin walled section at oneend, and having a thick walled section at the other end,

said thin section also enclosing a pair of thin walled cylinders, onecylinder between the shield and the housing and a second cylinderbetween the shield and said inner insulation layer, and

a pair of leaf contacts, one attached to said inner conductor and theother inserted between said one cylinder and said shield, said contactshaving flexible portions extending out of said housing for wipingconnection with similar pairs of contacts, said thin walled sectionbeing crimped to attach said contacts internally.

7. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 6 wherein said thickwalled housing section is recessed and made thin walled locallycoincident with the assembly of a contact on said inner conductor,whereby the two may be crimped together by pressure through said localthin wall.

8. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 6 wherein said insertedcontact is threaded through a hole in said housing, said hole havingkeying slots to receive a shouldered section of said contact to hold itin said housing.

9. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 6 wherein said housing isformed square in cross section at the thick walled end with theprojecting contacts, and a locating notch indenting said thick walledend.

10. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 9 wherein said locatingnotch contains an extending foot which I projects into similar notcheson adjacent housings so that o to fit into the locating notches of saidconnectors, and a slot to receive said keying feet, whereby saidconnectors are locked into said frame.

12. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 11 wherein said frame isprovided with attaching means for receiving and holding a similar framesaid that mated pairs of contacts of pairs of cable ends are heldtogether.

13. A connector of the kind set forth in claim 9 with a honeycomb frameformed with an array of square openings shaped to receive and hold saidhousing ends, and

attaching means in said frame for receiving and holding a similar framewith cable end contacts mated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Engqvist 339-183X Dupre 339l77 X Wilson 339-49 X Ritter 339223 X Lazar 339223 X Forney339223 X Jackson et a1. 339-64 X JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

3. IN A COAXIAL CABLE CONNECTOR, A CABLE COMPRISING A SIGNAL CONDUCTORAND A TUBULAR SHIELD THEREFOR, A WIPING CONTACT FOR SAID SIGNALCONDUCTOR COMPRISING AN EXTENDING CONTACT LEAF JOINED TO A CYLINDRICALPORTION WHICH IS TO BE CRIMPED ONTO THE END OF SAID SIGNAL CONDUCTOR, AHOUSING BLOCK ENCLOSING SAID CABLE END AND CONFINING SAID CYLINDRICALPORTION OF SAID CONTACT LEAF, A SECOND CONTACT COMPRISING AN ELONGATEDPROJECTION WHICH IS ATTACHED TO SAID SHIELD AND FORMED WITH AN EXTENDINGWIPING LEAF, SAID SECOND LEAF HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION CONFINED INSAID BLOCK TO PROVIDE A FULCRUM FOR FLEXING ACTION, A SERIES OFDEPRESSIONS FORMED IN SAID BLOCK OVER SAID CONTACT CYLINDRICAL PORTIONTO GIVE ACCESS FOR CRIMPING ACTION AGAINST SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION OFTHE FIRST MENTIONED CONTACT TO HOLD IT FIRMLY ON SAID SIGNAL CONDUCTOR.